


Cling

by parasox



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: @promptis2018sfw, Comfort/Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-24 21:38:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14962661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parasox/pseuds/parasox
Summary: Written for Day One of SFW Promtis Week 2018, using all three prompts. First/last kiss, Reunion at the Keep, and "We're here together."Prompto Argentum recounts his memories of Noctis Lucis Caelum and the love they shared.





	Cling

It just … started. It was sometime after the tragedy that was Altissia and before I ended up in Gralea. I couldn’t say like, the exact night it began. But I never minded it. No, I never minded it at all. It’s just… how he dealt with things, I guess. 

He was the prince of Insomia, or king really. Even if we didn’t treat him as such, he was still our leader whether he liked it or not. We still followed what he said and there was a lot of unspoken privileges that we gave him. We’d always let him go into the tent first. Choose where he wanted to sleep, for instance. Most of the time, he chose to sleep between me and Iggy. In more dangerous campsites he’d sleep at our feet. I never asked why. It was just a thing he did. We just all accepted it without arguing. Like I said, he was the king. 

So the night it started was after a string of hotel stays that Iggy splurged on. Our first campout since… Since the Tidemother. I remember that time being… very quiet. Tense. I finally understood that saying “tension you could cut with a knife.” Nobody really said much once plans were made. I didn’t feel like joking around. Even when I did, when I forced myself to, I didn’t get the smiles or smart remarks I was aiming for. And I hate my aim being off. 

Ignis couldn’t cook, of course, so Gladio stepped up and used the last of our cup noodles to feed us that night. We tried our best to help Iggy with what his pride allowed us to. Well, Gladio and I did, anyway. Noct seemed so far gone that he couldn’t really help himself, much less help Iggy. Gladio was sure to remind him of that pretty much as often as he could. Gladio had some remark about Noct needing to “wake the hell up soon” that Noct didn’t take too kindly. So that made Noct throw his empty cup in the fire and storm off into the tent. Gladio grunted and shook his head while that stupid awkwardness took over again. For me, personally? It was easier to be awkward at Noct’s side than at Gladio and Iggy’s. So I wordlessly helped clean up what little there was to clean up. Then I asked Iggy if he needed any help. He assured me he’d get Gladio to if he did and that I should go and check on Noctis. 

And so I did. Noct was lying in the place I usually had in the tent, against the wall. T-shirt, boxers… We’d given up on modesty long ago. His back was turned to the flappy door, curled up on himself. He didn’t look back at me or say anything. So I kicked off my boots and stripped down to the clothes I planned to sleep in. I pulled my sleeping bag from the pile in the corner and rolled it out behind him. He wasn’t talking and I really didn’t think I had anything to add. I stretched out behind him, lying on my side facing him. I stared at the back of his head for a while, watching his shoulders rise and fall. I reached out and put my hand between his shoulder blades. Just flat palm, trying to just remind him I was there for him, you know? He startled, but didn’t move and just let me keep my hand there. 

Maybe half an hour passed? I felt him tense up as Gladio guided Ig in and help him settle. 

“He still being pissy over there?” Gladio asked. 

“Shut up,” Noct fired back. 

“To sleep, Gentlemen,” Ignis interrupted before anymore awkward could come between us. 

Gladio grunted. Noct snorted. I sighed. Bigtime. It was even awkward to say goodnight. So I didn’t. Neither did anyone else. Gladio turned the lantern down and the tent was plunged into almost darkness. We didn’t like to sleep in the pure dark we once had anymore. Never knew with everything happening if the haven’s sigils would hold. We didn’t trust it anymore.

And a few minutes later was when it began. Noct slowly turned over, facing me. Shadows, dark hair covered his face, mostly, but I could see his eyes. We’d been friends for a while by then, not as long as with the other two of course, but yeah. I knew his looks. He was very expressive with his eyes, his face. I think that’s something that not many knew about him. And this look in his eyes and what little I could see of his face confused me. Sorrow. Like, not sorry about everything that happened, but as if he were trying to apologize to me. A moment later I learned what for. His strong arms surrounded me and crushed my body to his. He let out a huge sigh that I felt against my ear. Buddy wanted a hug? I could handle that. I put my arms around him, too, and held onto him. Tightly. But you know, when you’re in a hug, that there’s that expected moment of pulling away? Noct didn’t pull away. So I didn’t either. Not even when I heard him snoring. 

When the king of Insomnia clings to you, as if holding on for dear life, you don’t question it. Or at least I didn’t. Not at first. Neither did the other two. And of course Noct didn’t talk about it. But he kept doing it. 

If we were in the tent, it got to where he didn’t even wait for the lantern to be turned down. He’d scoot right next to me and hold his arms open. I knew what he wanted and didn’t play dumb. I didn’t want to make things even more awkward. I’d curl up in his arms and let him cling to me through the night. It didn’t feel as awkward as it sounds, either. At least, not for me. Maybe it was for Gladio and Iggy. I never asked. And if we got a hotel somewhere? Before I was usually stuck sharing a bed with Gladio, but now? We’d get into the room and Noct would grab my wrist and lead me to what would be our bed. Or he’d just give me this look if I tried to choose the other bed 

And like I said before, I never minded. Honestly. If it was helping him, then hell… I mean, I’d have done anything for him. And it felt good. It felt … right. To be so close to him, to share his warmth, to feel his breath in my hair, to feel his heart hammering against my cheek? There are no words to explain the peace I felt there with him. I guessed that it was doing the same for him, having me that close, which is why I just went along with it. We’d both wake up with numb limbs that we’d curled on top of through the night, but we didn’t complain. Even if we ended up drenched in mutual sweat, we didn’t complain. On more than one occasion, he’d silently cry against me. It hurt to feel his body trembling with that emotional pain and I would bury my head in his chest and cry right along with him.

I loved him so damned much. So. Damned. Much.

Ignis literally couldn’t see what was happening. I could literally see the confusion on his face when he realized he wasn’t sharing hotel beds with his highness. When I was between him and Noct in the tents. And so the only time that the other two ever mentioned it came up when Noct was in the shower one morning. 

“Awfully chummy with the king there lately, Prompto.” Gladio towered over me with folded arms. 

“Yeah? I should be. He’s my best friend.” I kept tying my boots, hoping the deflection would work. 

“That’s… not what he meant,” Ignis added from his seat on the edge of a bed.

I chewed on my lip for a moment, realizing that this was it. This was me being cornered finally. “So?” Such a brave comeback, I know.

“So, we’d like to know what sort of relationship you have with Noctis now,” Ignis said plainly. 

“Same as it ever was.” Because it was. Sorta.

“Are you guys doing shit you shouldn’t be doing?” Gladio finally asked. I could tell he was done with Ignis being delicate and me being dodgy. 

“What you see is what we do. Honest. That’s it,” I admitted. The way my cheeks burned probably didn’t help them believe me. Or Gladio, anyway. 

“You sure about that, Blondie?” Gladio was nothing if not determined. 

“Leave him alone. I’m the one doing it. You got a problem with it, you can ask me about it,” Noct said, walking into the room while toweling his hair dry. 

But no one asked Noct about it. Not then, anyway. Or at least not in earshot of me.

Then Ardyn decided to hitch a ride on our train to Gralea. Damn him. Ugh.

Tensions were high for so many reasons. Gladio had snapped on Noct to try to shake him out of his stupor. We’d brought a blind man into a daemon-riddled cave. Ignis proved his worth despite not being able to see and tried to mend the rifts between us all. But then the train was attacked and we were all riding adrenaline rushes from the fray… 

Goddamn Ardyn. 

What I remember most was the horror in Noct’s eyes when he pushed me off the train. For the longest time I couldn’t piece together why he’d have that look if he wanted to kill me. But I knew something was wrong earlier when he’d chased me, pinned me against the wall. Tried to kill me. I think what scared me was realizing that I wasn’t even really trying to fight him. Like, if he wanted me dead, would I let him do it? 

Anyway. I don’t know what was real, what was hallucination, where I was after I fell. Could ask Aranea if it all happened for real, I guess, but it really doesn’t matter to me. It helped me learn truths I needed to know. About myself. About my place with the group. About Noct. 

Ardyn tried. He tried really hard. There were weak moments where I even believed him. That Noct wasn’t coming. That I’d been left for dead. I hung there on that rack for at least days. My body went numb from pain. Ardyn kept asking me if being friends with Noct was worth this. Asking why I was holding out hope. Berating me, pestering me about if I dared to think royalty could actually love some non-person like me. And damn him for the way he kept going back to that word. 

Love.

But it was because I could still see those eyes filled with sorrow from that first night. As if he needed to be sorry for holding me all those nights. I could still feel his arms around me. Warm. Tender. Clinging to me while I secretly hoped the morning would take its time about getting there. And that’s what got me through. I knew he was coming for me. I knew Ardyn was a prince of lies. Dirty, dirty lies. 

Ardyn could lie all he wanted to. I knew Noct’s truth. The one he’d told me during those nights without saying a word. Noct’s truth didn’t want me dead. Though I didn’t know why he’d pushed me, or fought me, or why he’d looked so horrified, remembering how he kept me close was my sanity. My benediction. He would come for me. I stopped fighting. I stopped responding to Ardyn. I closed my eyes and just waited with inner cries that Noct would be there sooner than later. Because he would be there. 

Love. 

I’d never even told him, outside of joking around. I made a promise to myself that the next time we clung to each other? I had to tell him. Clearly. Non-negotiable. If… he accepted that I was the real me, that is. I was scared of that. Really scared. 

But when he came, when they all came? Noct was wearing “the ring.” They all fought like mad to get to me. And with all the time I had to think of what to say when he… they… reached me? I could only ask if he missed me. My tired heart reminded me I was alive with his somewhat offended answer. I let him know that I knew he’d come for me and remind me of who I really am. I think they understood that Ardyn had been screwing with me. My body damned sure showed it anyway. 

My arms, my shoulders? No potions or elixirs could soothe that pain. Everyone seemed to agree that we should lock ourselves in the barrack rooms and rest for a while. Apparently they’d been going hardcore for some time trying to get to me. Just having my feet on the ground, my weight on my feet was rest to me. 

Gladio seemed to want to argue with Noct when he led me to the barracks next door to where he and Iggy had already made themselves comfortable. But like I said before, not many people know about how expressive Noct’s face and eyes were. And Gladio didn’t argue with the glare daring him to say another word. So I was locked up alone with the king of Insomnia in a barrack room. 

He apologized. I tried to joke about it, but it fell flat. He started speaking of breaking down borders and making one nation. 

That sent me reeling. Did he realize he was finally speaking like a king? Did he realize it was because he wanted to make me feel like less of an outcast? Was it Gladio’s persistence that led him to thinking like a king? Was it Ignis’ bravery and determination? Or had I really been worrying his mind to the point of like, realizing he needed to stand up? Take charge? I told him so. You know, that he sounded kingly. Not that he was doing it for me. 

He asked if I was with him. I assured him I’d ever be at his side. If only I knew what the next day would bring? Maybe I could’ve kept that promise. 

So these barracks, they had these single sized bunk beds. Too small for two bodies. I hated it because more than ever, I wanted to see him lay down and open his arms for me again. Dammit. No, that’s not right. I needed it so badly I was trembling. I got offered more potions since he must’ve thought it was from pain. 

We talked some more. Cleared up holes that Ardyn had left in our understanding of what had happened. But the way we were talking? I finally understood the saying “garula in the room.” And the garula was sitting on my heart. It stunk. Bigtime. 

When our stories died down, Noct stood up from the bed he was sitting on and looked around. “Like hell,” he muttered. He started trying to move the giant iron bunk beds. “Got enough strength to help?” 

I nodded, helping. Didn’t know what he was thinking. But when the beds were moved, he began yanking mattresses off the beds. Stacking them on the floor. Making a larger mattress pallet from the smaller beds. 

I couldn’t stop the tears when I realized what he was doing. I hurried to help, stealing sheets, pillows from beds left untouched. It looked like kids had built some sort of pillow-mattress fort-tent thing by the time we were done. A few mattresses got stacked like a lean-to over the others, braced on the bed frames. Sheets thrown over it, pillows shoved inside? We had our own heaven in the midst of hell. 

That sorrowful look was back on his face when he looked at me. His touched my chin and I couldn’t look away like I wanted to. He said my name ever so gently. We dressed down to our boxers and he got in. I can’t forget how he leaned his head back to look at me, waiting. 

I waited, too, until he spread his arms for me. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt a rush of emotion more powerful than I did right then. It started in my toes and like, just shot through my entire body before bursting right into my heart. I nearly knocked a mattress down as I desperately tried to get into those arms as quickly as I could. I surrounded him with my battered arms and of course he held me back so damned tightly. It hurt, but I didn’t care. I just clung to him. Buried my head in his neck. Fingers curled into his back. Cried like a little bitch, hah. We both did. 

“It’s all right,” he told me. “We’re here together.” That only made me try to get closer to him. 

We held on so tightly that I thought we were trying to hug each other’s souls. Soul crushing. Yeah, that’s what it was. It was soul crushing. 

After small eternities passed, we let up on each other. Our foreheads ended up together. I tried to lose myself in those midnight eyes of his. And then I remembered what I’d promised myself. 

“Hey, Noct?” 

“Yeah, Prompto?” 

“I really love you.” 

“I know.” He smirked at me in that cocky way he had. 

I was stunned, though. I guess in gathering all my courage to tell him, I never thought about how he’d react. That sure as hell wasn’t what I expected. I didn’t know if I had expected him to tell me the same or punch me or what, but definitely didn’t think he’d tell me he knew. “You knew?” 

“Of course I did.” 

I just stared at him until he chuckled at me. 

“Why do you think I’ve held you all these nights, Prompto? You need me to say the words to be sure yourself?” 

I felt my face grow hot. I’m sure I was pouting. I felt like a damned child suddenly, needing to hear something to make it real. 

“I guess you do.” He sounded more serious, though. Didn’t feel like he was chiding me anymore. He moved one of his arms from around me and found one of my hands. Fingers entwined and we held fast. “I guess that means you don’t know why I’ve held onto all these nights, either.” 

I shook my head at him. 

His voice was so quiet. He kept his eyes closed through most of his words. “All my worst fears, ones I didn't even know I had, they all just happened one by one. I lost… I lost my kingdom. I lost my dad. I lost Luna. Specs even lost his eyesight. I became painfully aware of my worst fears, then. What few I had left. So during the nights, I’d cling to you in hopes that you wouldn’t be lost, too. How Ardyn knew to hurt you, to take you from me over Gladio or Ignis, who’ve been trained for this life? Goddamn him! I’d never been more scared in my life, Prompto. I’ve faced, what, two of the Six in actual battles? Even that doesn’t compare to the fear I felt thinking I’d lost you. Of course I love you. I love you with all my heart.” 

Our hands squeezed. Apparently I had a few more tears left in me, too. “So much it hurts.” 

“Yeah.” He laughed a little. “It does.” 

“Thank you for saying so.” 

We went back to the eye-gazing. Then he crushed his lips against mine. Hah, I remember thinking that he wasn’t good at kissing. At least, not at the very first. It got better. Never got the courage to ask if it was his first kiss or not. It was our first kiss. And it was our last kiss. My world was his warm, soft lips moving against mine. There was no desperation, no need in our kiss. It was just love. Just a pure, satisfying declaration of our feelings for one another. The last of my tears for the night dried up. My fingers left his to curl in his sweat-dampened hair. Our bodies stayed close, our legs tangled up. I remember his toes rubbing my calf. We kissed until my lips were numb. 

When it was over, we held onto each other once more and slept. I couldn’t remember a time I felt more safe, warm, and loved. 

I’m glad I remember it so clearly, because the next day the Light left the world. So did the sun. So did my joy. 

I’m kinda glad I had so many daemons around to take my pain out on. I got good over the years. Told myself I had to stay strong because Noct would be back. Wherever he was, whatever he was doing, I was certain he was doing all he could to get back to us. To get back to me. So I had to stay stronger than the daemons, learn to stand on my own. So I did. 

And when he came back, I could tell he was proud of me. I didn’t need to ask. I didn’t need him to tell me. 

When it came time to go in the tent for the last time, the rest of us hesitated after he went in. They nudged me in first, though. Noct wasn’t where he had usually lied. He was in the middle, and he’d put out all the sleeping bags for us. Ignis behind me and Gladio behind him. 

My heart glowed when reached up his arms for me. After ten years, it still felt so warm and safe in his embrace. When Iggy and Gladio came in, Noct let go of me. Somehow, wordlessly too, we all ended up a tangle of arms and legs and sweaty bodies sleeping safe and sound in our tent. 

And that’s my story about how the King of Insomnia loved us. Loved me. And how I will always love him. 

~As told to Vessia Hullond by Crownsguardian Prompto Argentum, for the continuing articles of ‘Memoirs of Last Light: Stories of Noctis Lucis Caelum’~

**Author's Note:**

> <3 your Kudos, but <3 <3 your comments. Thank you for reading.


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